6 Things That Surprised Me About UVic

As someone who has lived in Victoria for most of my life and for many years before I started school at UVic, I thought I knew exactly what to expect about the university experience at UVic as I entered my first-year in 2019. However, there were quite a few things that surprised me! Here are six of them: 

1. Professors can become mentors and friends 

In high school I had close relationships with many of my teachers, and I thought that would end when I got to university.

It turns out that many of UVic’s profs actually want to make a personal connection with their students, and although they can’t with every single one, many of them truly do make an effort to get to know their students.

The best way, by far, to make that personal connection with a prof, is to go to their office hours. Even if you don’t think you have anything to say or any questions to ask, popping in to say hello and what you’re excited for in their course makes a world of difference!

2. There’s never an “end” to your homework 

Endless homework!

There’s nothing better than the feeling of finishing your homework, exams, assignments, whatever it is and having a stress-free weekend. While “having no homework” may have been possible in high school, it never really ends when you get to university. 

There is always something more you can be preparing, reviewing, or reading ahead for. Unfortunately, the relief of finishing “everything” can only come at the end of the semester when exams and courses are officially finished. I was certainly not prepared for this norm when I started at UVic, but luckily I find that the never-ending work cycle is much more rewarding when you get to the end of the semester! 

3. There are so many clubs and extracurriculars it’ll make your head spin 

Clubs and Course Union days Poster, from the UVSS website

I was not expecting the VAST amount of clubs and extracurriculars that are available at UVic. But the great thing about so many students at UVic, is that there are niche interests that allow for everyone to find the place that they fit in. With everything from the submarine racing club to the UVic fashion club, there are tons of options. 

The Spring 2022 Clubs and Course Union Days is coming up on January 19th and 20th! Check out this UVSS website page for more details and a link to the virtual Discord server.  

4. Leaving 10 minutes in between classes is no big deal, unless you have to get from Clearihue to ECS

I always thought I need at least a 50 minute break in between classes to recharge, find a bathroom, get to my next class, eat a snack, etc, etc, etc… turns out after scheduling three back to back classes last semester, I much prefer getting multiple classes in a row over with!

Everyone has their own preferences of course, but it surprised me when I saw how easy it was to get between buildings on campus for back-to-back classes. So if you’re stressing about scheduling classes close together, don’t worry, unless you have to get from two very far apart buildings in ten minutes (the dreaded path from Clearihue to ECS, for example). 

5. No one cares if you’re walking, eating, or sitting alone 

When I started at UVic, I used to be so worried about finding a friend to walk with or putting in headphones when I was eating in Mystic alone.

Truth is, no matter how exposed you feel, no one is paying attention to you as much as you think they are. The only exception is… 

6. Everyone will notice if you look both ways before crossing Ring Road 

It’s just a fact of UVic. As much as I was surprised that simple road safety can be such a point of contention in the UVic student culture, it is just that thing you have to learn over time. Only one way people!